Vanity case



May 16, 1933. E. M. COLEMAN 1,909,457

VANITY CASE Filed May 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

imzfldw/ WM ATTORNEY.

E. M. COLEMAN 1,909,457

VANITY CASE May 16, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2. 1932 2; IIIIII II I! "II- IN VEN TOR.

429 52 ZMWW ATTORNEY.

Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARL MILBURN COLEMAN,0F KIEFER, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY-FIVE PER.

CENT TO WILLIAM H. DOUGHTY, OF KIEFER, OKLAHOMA VANITY CASE Applicationfiled May 2,

This invention relates to improvements in vanity cases and the mainobject is to provide a case containing in addition to the usualcosmetics and mirror a lamp and battery so arranged that the mirror maybe illuminated to permit the use of the case at night.

Another object is to provide a case of this kind in a simple, compact,and attractive form.

With these and other objects in View the invention resides in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the case with the two hinged sections fullyopened.v

Figure 2 is a side view with the sections closed.

Figure 3 is a cross section with the sections opened.

Figure 4 is a section along the line 44 in Figure l, the case howeverbeing closed in this View. s

Figure 5 is a plan view of the bottom section of the case with the coverplate removed and showing the battery in place.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the cover plate alone.

Figure 7 is an enlarged section along the line 77 in Figure 1, thecasebeing also shown closed in this view.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged section through the cover plateshowing the method of attaching the rouge and powder bases or disks.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail in cross section showing the switch camor member in its opened position.

In carrying out my invention I provioe a case designated generally by 1in the dra vings and comprising a rectangular or other desired shapedbottom 2 and top 3 hinged together at their rear edges at 4 and arrangedin usual manner to open and close hookwise, a catch 5 and catch pin 6being provided for locking the case in its closed position. Both thebottom 2 and top 3 are formed of metal of any desired kind and may besuitably engraved, plated or other- 1932. Serial N0. 608,639.

wise finished to present an attractive appearance. A mirror 7 is securedin the inner side of the top 3 as shown.

The case bottom 2 is adapted to receive a rectangular and fiat dry cellbattery 8 which is of such dimensions as to fit snugly between the frontwall 9 and rear wall 10 of the bottom but terminate short of the endwalls 11 and 12 and is of such thickness that its upper surface will lieconsiderably below the upper edges of said walls. Contact or connectionto one terminal of this battery is made through a spring 13 secured tothe end Wall 11 and the other terminal is connected to or formed by asmall square plate 14 located on the upper surface of the battery andadjacent the rear edge thereof. It is thus seen that one terminal of thebattery is connected or grounded to the case as a whole.

The end wall 12 of the bottom 2 is turned inwardly and downwardlly atits upper edge as shown at 16 and the upper edge of the other endwall 11is turned inwardly at 17 but is not turned downwardly as shown. A coverplate 18 is mounted in the bottom 2 over the battery 8 and has one edgeextended beneath the inwardly and downwardly turned edge 16 of the wall12. A spring wire 19 is secured by .soldering or welding at one end 20to the cover plate 18 and is adapted to spring out beneath the inwardlyturned edge 17 of the end wall 11 whereby to secure the cover plate inplace. By pulling outward on the wire 19 the cover plate may be pulledupward and removed, it being noted that the plate is of such width thatits edge will clear the inturned end wall edge 17 when the wire ispulled outward. The cover plate may be held upward out of contact withthe battery 8 and the plate 14 by suitable spacers (not shown).

The cover plate 18 has a circular aperture 21 having radially spacednotches 2". in its margin and a powder base or disk 23 of somewhatlarger diameter than this aperture is secured thereover by means ofL-shaped hooks 24 which may drop through the notches 22 and will thenengage the margin of the aperture 21 and'hold the disk 23 in place whenthe same has been turned a short distance as will be understood. Insimilar manner a smaller aperture 21a is provided in the cover plate andhas notches 22a to receive the hooks 24aon the rouge base or disk 23a.The disks 23 and 23a carry powder and rouge in cake form as designatedat 25 and 26 respectively and as the powder and rouge are used the disksmay be removed and replaced. A lip stick case 2? of conventional form isremovably mounted on the cover plate 18 between ears 28 punched upwardfrom the plate.

Adjacent its rear edge the cover plate is cut and punched upward to forma reflector 29 and a small bulb socket 30 is secured to the plateadjacent and at one end of this reflector whereby a bulb 31 similar to aflashlight bulb mounted in the socket will be disposed along beneaththis reflector. This socket 30 is formed of metal and being secured tothe cover plate connects one terminal of the bulb to one terminal of thebattery 8 as will be understood. The cover plate is slotted from a pointadjacent and in alignment with the socket 30 outward toward the end wall12 of the bottom 2 as shown at 32 and apertured bearing lugs or ears areextended upward from the margins of this slot adjacent its inner edge. Aswitch cam or lever 34 of insulating material is pivoted by a pin 35between the lugs 33 and carries a contact strip 36 adapted to engage theend contact 37 of the bulb 31 and simultaneously engage at its other endthe plate 14 on the battery 8 thus completing the circuit from thebattery to the bulb. This is of course the closed position of theswitch. The cam or lever 34 is substantially V-shaped in form andincludes the two handles or legs 38 and 39 and the truncated orflattened ends 40. The pin 35 is so located that when the cam is swungtoward the bulb 31 the end 41 of the contact strip 36will engage thebattery contact plate 14 as aforesaid and then'as the cam is swungoutward away from the bulb this contact strip will disengage both thebulb and plate 14, this being the open position of the switch. As thecam is swung from one position'to the other the corners of the flattenedend 40 engage the plate 14 and slightly lift or bow the cover plate 18which will then act as a spring to hold the cam in either of its twopositions, this action being brought about by the fact that the distancebetween the pin 35 and said corners of the end 40 is greater thanbetween the pin and either the end itself or the face of the leg 39 aswill be understood.

By closing the switch the bulb 31 is illuminated and the light therefromis reflected on the mirror 7 by the reflector 29 to perinit the use ofthe case and its cosmetics at night. Further details of the utility andoperation of the invention will be evident without further description.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of myinvention it is understood that I may vary from the same in minorstructural details so as best to construct a practical device for thepurposes intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention andwithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a case including hinged top andbottom sections, a battery mounted in the bottom section, one terminalof the battery beingconnected to the case, a contact plate on the uppersurface of the battery forming the other terminal of said battery, acover plate covering the battery and having a slot over the said contactplate, a portion of the cover plate being cut out and formed upwardlyinto a reflector, a bulb socket mounted at one end of the reflector; anda switch cam pivoted in the slot in the cover plate and adapted toconnect the contact plate of the battery to a bulb in the said socket.

2. In a device of the kind described, a case including a bottom section,a battery mounted therein, one terminal of the battery being connectedto the case, a contact plate on the upper surface of the battery formingthe other terminal of the battery, a cover plate covering the batteryand having a slot over the said contact plate, ears turned up from themargins of the slot, a portion of the cover plate adjacent the slotbeing cut out and formed upwardly into a reflector, a bulb socketsecured to the cover plate between the slot and reflector, a switch camof insulating material pivoted between the said ears, and a contactstrip secured to the cam switch and adapted to connect the contact plateon the battery and a bulb in the bulb socket.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

EARL MILBURN COLEMAN.

